day 1: three star service by jetstar

Having doubled our airfare to S$660 due to the flight change, we were pleasantly surprised by budget carrier Jetstar.

This is not the first time I've flown Jetstar but it is my virgin coach-share budget flight. 3K585 was a coach share with Myanmar Airlines (MAI).

Besides the traditionally dressed MAI stewardess standing by the entrance of the aircraft, the biggest surprise was the inflight meal!

Budget carriers are known to charge for every thing you consume, from S$3 hot coffee, S$5 sugar free ice tea, to S$10 piping hot Japanese curry with rice.

Today, Bun and I was treated to a full service of either chicken with rice or seafood with bee hoon, complete with (cold) bun and butter, pasta salad to start, jelly dessert and coffee or tea.

If we had known, we wouldn't have gobbled down the hot Mee Siam from Wang Cafe at Terminal One.

Cost:

• S$10.30 Mee Siam and Toast breakfast from Wang
• S$7.80 Watsons disposable undies because the ones we bought were too small
• S$10.80 taxi from home to airport

minus 2 days: a $700 oversight

"Passport holders from ASEAN countries do not need to apply for visas to visit Myanmar," says my trusty Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring. I should have checked, considering this 15th edition was printed in March 2010.

A quick visit to the Myanmar Embassy web site would have saved me some trouble and a lot of money.

Just five days before my flight, my travel buddy 'Bun' realised that we need a tourist visa. The problem: I was in Seoul Korea. The earliest I could get my visa approved and collected is in the afternoon of Wednesday 21 December. Another problem: my flight is at 9am on Wednesday.

Fortunately, Bun got us sorted by calling Jetstar to grab the last two available seats on the next flight on Friday. Unfortunately, that cost us S$700, amounting to 30 per cent of my travel budget!

I guess it could be worse. We could have found out the mistake at the airport.

Cost:

• S$350 each to change flight
• S$35 visa application

By the way, on the last page of the Lonely Planet guide, it does disclaim that "Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasonable care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maximum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use".